Snippets
by GreenGreyBlack
Summary: It was the closest he will ever be.


_**Snippets**_

_If somebody had told him a few years back that his life would end up that way, he would have said he was surly mad._

_But that's life! Here he was in district 2, ascending the social ladder, having a job that people craved for, having a life he never dreamt of leading, he was no longer hungry, in fact non of his family was any longer, he was no longer afraid, neither was anyone in the whole of Panem._

_Except he wasn't happy; she wasn't there._

* * *

_He was always taken a back by her, he always thought of her as a star, beautiful, glowing and unattainable._

_Indeed she was, at least to him._

_She was now married, leading a happy, comfortable life with Peeta._

_Who would have thought they would grow that distant?_

_He only hears of her every now and then occasionally from friends, all small snippets of her life._

* * *

_For a guy who was skilled at setting snares, tracking targets and hunting, he had to be always alert, always focused, always fore sighted and he had always prided himself in being so, except with her._

_With her, he was dim sighted, so dim sighted._

_He didn't see beyond her tough façade, he didn't see the little ordinary girl, who believe it or not secretly wanted a fairy tale of her own, a life, a family and everything._

_He didn't see that._

_He just thought they were both moulded for the harsh life, that they would live and die in that miserable thing of a life, that her imagination, her hopes and everything were long crushed, long dead under the burden of the cruel reality._

_He was wrong._

_He was always a fighter, always a realist, always the guy to do what has to be done even if there would be collateral damage, and he wasn't the lovey dovey type by any means._

_She wasn't, he failed to see that, she cared for all those who would fall as collateral damage, she was emotional, she cared and worst of all, the collateral damage was hers, the collateral damage was the filament that set the whole chain reaction leading to that point, Prim._

_Once he knew that Prim fell, he knew they were done, he knew it was over, he tried as hard to go up to her and just try to fix it._

_It was unfixable._

_He tried to move on from her, after all there were plenty of ladies, craving his company, yet despite the plenty, he knows there is only one Katniss, only one so after the constant failures, he decided to stop fooling him self , he wouldn't bother looking and wasting his time onto finding another, it was her , just her._

* * *

_He decides to visit district 12._

_He goes back to where it all started the woods._

_He takes it back to where it all begun and wonders, how would it have been different if Prim wasn't reaped, he dismisses the thought, because let's face it; he still enjoys the facilities and the perks of the life he is leading._

_He hears the mocking jay whistle._

_She was there._

_He tracks the voice with his never failing hunter skills._

_He finds her, sitting over, eyes wandering over the horison and soaking the sunset._

_A moment later, she seemed startled, she sensed his presence._

"_Some stuff never fades" he chuckled as he walked towards her._

_She looks him thoroughly, up and down_

"_Life has been good to you, I see Gale"_

"_Who would have thought, Catnip?"_

_Shortly after, they are joined by 2 little kids and Peeta._

_They shook hands, both former rivals, tension ever present between them._

"_I see life has been good to you both, as well"_

"_Yes" answered Peeta rather hostilely._

_He bends down towards to match the height level of the kids_

"_So, what are your names?" he tried to sound as gentle and less intimidating as possible._

_They look over at their parents for approval before answering_

"_I am Prim"_

"_And I am Mitch"_

"_And you are?" said the girl_

"_He is a friend of mom, his name is Gale" answered Peeta venomously._

"_The guy has grown over protective" the thought crossed over his mind._

"_So, we should be going before the dark sets in" resumed Peeta_

"_Of course, nice to have seen you both"_

"_Come on Gale, join us for dinner" invited Katniss_

"_Last I checked, your cooking was horrendous"_

"_She has grown domestic, now" Peeta replied_

"_Maybe some other time"_

"_Nice to have seen you too, Gale" answered Katniss_

"_So come on folks, make sure you don't trip over something while walking" Peeta instructed._

* * *

_He lingered for quite some times._

_After all those years, just seeing her still made him feel alive, satisfied._

_Yet, the pang of pain in his chest was unbearable._

_He was hurt; he really was because for the first time in his life he felt like an intruder in the life of Katniss._

_Sure there hasn't been interaction in the past years, yet he never felt that far._

_The cold seeps into his bones; he decides to head to his lodging._

_Next day, he is gone._

_He never returned to district 12._

* * *

_He keeps hearing snippets about her from friends, just snippets._

_It was all he was going to get; it was the closest he will ever be from now on._


End file.
